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RaghukulCS
March 17, 2021

Daily Prelims Newsletter For UPSC
| RaghukulCS

17 March 2021

Environment……………………………………………………. 1

National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) ..1
Great Indian Bustard …………………………………………………. 1

Art and Culture ……………………………………………… 2

Kathakali: ……………………………………………………………………. 2

Places in News ………………………………………………. 2

Kenya ………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Somalia: ………………………………………………………………………. 3

News in Short ……………………………………………….. 3

Baralacha Pass: …………………………………………………………. 3
Project RE-HAB: ………………………………………………………… 3
Khadi and Village Industries Commission …………….. 3

Environment

National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP)

Why in News?

Recently, NCRMP was launched by the centre to address frequent cyclone risks in the country.

About NCRMP:

It aims to undertake suitable measures to mitigate the effects of cyclones in the coastal areas of India.
Implementing Agency: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, along with coordination from the concerned state governments and the National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM).
The project will receive assistance from the World Bank.

Key Components of the Project:

Improved early warning dissemination systems.
Enhanced capacity of local communities to respond to such disasters.
Improved access to infrastructure like emergency shelter, evacuation, and protection against windstorms, flooding and storm surge in high areas.

About NDMA:

NDMA is the apex statutory body for disaster management, constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
Prime Minister is its Chairperson.
There are nine other members, and one such member is designated as Vice-Chairperson.

Great Indian Bustard

Why in News?

The Supreme Court will examine whether overhead power cables in natural habitats of the Great Indian Bustards can be replaced with underground ones to save these birds.

These birds are reported lydieing after colliding with power lines running through their habitats.

About Great Indian Bustards (GIB):

IUCN Red List	Critically Endangered
CITES	Appendix 1
WPA, 1972	Schedule 1

GIB is identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and Climate Change
Project Great Indian Bustard — aims to identify and fence bustard breeding grounds both in and out of existing protected areas.
GIB is the state bird of Rajasthan.
Natural Habitat of GIB in India:
Only two districts in Rajasthan : Jaisalmer and Barmer — have a breeding GIB population in the wild.
The bird can also be found in very small numbers in states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh

Art and Culture

Kathakali:

Why in News?

Recently, the Kathakali actor Guru Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair died.

About Kathakali:

It is associated with state of Kerala.
This dance form is influenced by ritual performing arts of Kerala like Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam.
It is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatizes stories, mostly adapted from the Indian epics.
Heavy make-up and stunning costumes are used.
Different facial colours indicate different mental stages of the character,
- Green – nobility,
- Black – wickedness,
- red patches – combining royalty & evil, etc
Hand gestures, facial expressions and eye movements are of extreme importance.
It is one among the eight Classical Dances of India.
Ramankutty Nair and Kalamandalam Gopi are among the prominent artists.
The element of Sky or Ether is represented in Kathakali.

Places in News

Kenya

Why in News?

Recently, Kenya has refused to take part in the proceedings of the International Court of Justice

(ICJ) over its maritime border dispute with Somalia.

About Kenya:

Neighbouring Countries: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda.

Related Water Bodies: Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria, Lake Rudolf/Turkana.

Capital City: Nairobi

Somalia:

It is a country in the Horn of Africa.
Bordering Nations: Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya.
Related Waterbody: Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Somalia has the longest coastline among Africa’s mainland countries.

News in Short

Baralacha Pass:

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started work on reopening of theBaralacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh to restore connectivity to Leh in Ladakh.
It is a mountain pass in Zanskar range.
It connects Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh,
It is situated along the Leh–Manali
Baralachla pass acts as a water-divide between the Bhaga river and the Yunam river.
Important Passes are indicated below:

Project RE-HAB:

The project stands for Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched this initiative.
It is a sub-mission under National Honey Mission of KVIC.
It is a creative method which usesbee fences to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honeybees.
The project is initially launched along periphery of Nagarhole National Park, Karnatak.
Bee boxes are installed along the periphery of the forest and the villages with the belief that elephants will not venture anywhere close to the bees and hence avoid transgressing into human landscape.
This idea is based on the elephants’ proven fear of the bees.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission

KVIC is a statutory
It was established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act,
The KVIC is tasked with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas.
It functions under Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.